The PhD Program in the College of Social Work develops scholars who generate and disseminate new knowledge to drive social change and create a more equitable, just, and inclusive society.
The PhD program in social work is designed so that course requirements can be completed in 2-3 years, followed by dissertation work.
Learning Outcomes
- PhD students become emerging experts in a self-determined specialized substantive area, making unique contributions to knowledge advancement in the pursuit of social change.
- PhD Students become skilled in diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, with deep expertise for pursuing the scientific exploration of their specialized substantive area.
- PhD Students become equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experience to teach the next generation of social work practitioners and scholars
- PhD students become productive scholars, with records of scholarly publications, national presentations, and applications for independent research funding.
Admission
Admissions requirements are consistent with those of The Graduate School and include:
- a completed application;
- transcripts from all post-secondary schools previously attended, including non-degree courses taken;
- a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE accredited graduate program (a master’s degree in a related field may be considered on a case-by-case basis);
- a grade point average of 3.5 or above for graduate-level work;
- evidence of scholarly potential as indicated by three letters of reference;
- a detailed personal statement;
- a sample of the applicant’s scholarly writing;
- satisfactory score on TOEFL or IELTS for international applicants for whom English is not their primary language.
